


In the Dead of Night

by Stray_Lilly



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Hitchhiking, Hunters & Hunting, Knives, M/M, Serial Killers, Suspense, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:20:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23827501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stray_Lilly/pseuds/Stray_Lilly
Summary: In the dead of night, Jeongin jumps into a stranger's car....
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	In the Dead of Night

**Author's Note:**

> I know the summary tells you almost nothing but I have no idea how to summarize this. Some important things:  
> Read the tags please 💕  
> I added a relationship tag for Hyunjin and Jeongin but their interaction isn't very long. Jeongin and Changbin spend more time together but I didn't think it was appropriate to add a relationship tag for them 💕  
> I hope you like this! 💕

“It’s late,” Jeongin groaned, looking up at the night’s sky. “We’re still an hour away from the motel. We should keep going.”

“Just half an hour,” Chan reassured him. “Half an hour and we’re back on the road.”

Jeongin nodded even though he didn’t believe a word that came out of the man’s mouth. He tried not to look like a sulking child as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and followed after Chan.

The diner – and calling it a diner was quite a stretch – was a small thing situated just across from the gas station. The gas station had been one of several stops they’d marked on their route back to the university.

Chan had insisted on joining Jeongin for the break, citing his need to experience life near the ocean as an excuse. But Jeongin knew that Chan didn’t get along with his parents and was just using Jeongin as a means to put a roof over his head and food on the table until the new semester began.

He didn’t blame Chan’s parents for thinking badly of their son. He was obnoxious. Always trying to fit in where he had no business fitting in. Always using people as stepping stones. Jeongin tolerated him because they’d been roommates for two years, and as unpleasant as Chan could be, he wasn’t insufferable like the others on campus.

Jeongin had expected the patrons at the diner to be tired and grumpy travellers, eager to get coffee and a snack before they were on the highway again. He hadn’t expected to see several people chatting and laughing, and most with tall glasses of beer in their hands. He had to question the kind of diner that would serve alcohol to people who would most likely be behind the wheel in an hour or two. Maybe most people didn’t consider the moral implications of their actions. 

Chan drew several gazes as he walked in. Of course he did. Chan was good-looking. He had a camera-ready face – angular, dimpled, and those heart-shaped lips that everyone envied. With slicked back blonde hair, too tight jeans and a fitted shirt that highlighted his lean, muscular figure, he seemed dressed for the attention. It didn’t surprise Jeongin that no one paid any attention to him; he was as different from Chan as an apple from a potato. 

Jeongin was taller than Chan but lacked his broad shoulders. His outfit – plain blue jeans and a red and black pullover wasn’t impressive. And as Chan had mentioned almost every day, Jeongin’s thick-lensed glasses were a crime to humanity. But Jeongin didn’t really care. He wasn’t there to impress anyone.

“Can I borrow a twenty?” Chan nudged him. “I’ll pay you back.”

Jeongin inwardly sighed. In the past two years, Chan had borrowed enough money from him to purchase a house. He didn’t expect the man to actually pay him back, but it miffed him that Chan spent all of it on alcohol or whatever drug was the new  _ in thing _ on campus. Still, he reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

“Shit,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his mop of curly brown hair, “Wallet’s in the car.”

Chan snatched the car key from Jeongin’s hand. “Be right back.”

Jeongin pursed his lips in silent disapproval and sought out an empty seat. The only available table was near the restroom. Only one chair remained at the table, the other probably stolen for another table by one of the other patrons.

He took a seat and took a look at the shabby diner. There didn’t seem to be anyone waiting on tables. Just one person stood behind the counter and another worked at the griddle behind him. The radio was on and the group clustered at the table closest to Jeongin were listening intently. 

The reporter was spurting the same nonsense every radio station and every news channel had been going on about for the past two months. “Police are following every possible lead,” the reporter went on, talking about the latest media craze. They hadn’t found a name for the killer yet and simply referred to him, rather stupidly, as The Killer. After all, the police had only recently put two and two together and found out that the killings were the work of the same person. At the rate the department worked, they’d have a whole host of killers on the loose before Christmas. Useless, really. 

“Some people are calling him The Moon Killer,” one of the middle aged men said to his companions. “You know, because he killed that one guy during the full moon.”

The companions burst out laughing. “That’s bullshit,” one said, twirling his greying beard, “I heard they call him The Night Stalker.”

“Can’t be,” another said. “Didn’t they used to call that other serial killer guy that?”

Jeongin rolled his eyes, listening to them argue and caution anyone who would listen. According to them, self-proclaimed experts – Jeongin wondered how many crime TV shows they’d watched in their to earn their expertise – the killer was most likely charming, good-looking, easy going, cunning and a ‘helluva strong bloke’. They could’ve been talking about Chan, for all Jeongin knew. The thought made him chuckle. Just imagine…

“Scary talk, huh?”

Jeongin gasped at the weight on his lap, eyes widening at the sight of the male who swivelled around on his lap to look at him. “Y-You – who are you?” he questioned, a knot tightening in his stomach at the unwelcome proximity of the man. “What do you want?”

The man laughed, and Jeongin took a second to study him. He was pretty – prettier than anyone else in that rundown diner. He had black hair that touched the back of his collar and his bangs were long and brushed back. He wore dark jeans and a red shirt with a few of the buttons open to reveal his chest. His eyes were thickly lined with coal coloured eyeliner and his plush lips were tinted red – or perhaps that was his natural lip color. Jeongin couldn’t tell.

“You scared?” the man bit his lip, looking at Jeongin with doe eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m no killer.” He used a finger to trace the criss-cross pattern on Jeongin’s pullover. “You like listening to scary stories?”

“What do you want?” Jeongin asked again, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. He needed some water. “I – I need to order something. Can I – I mean, I want to get up. Please,” he added. He didn’t like surprises, least of all human-sized ones. 

Again, the man laughed and cocked his head to the side. “What’s your name, handsome?”

“Jeongin.” He realized that perhaps he should’ve kept that to himself. 

“Pretty name,” the man smiled. “I’m Hyunjin. Want some?”

Jeongin raised his eyebrows in question, wondering what exactly he was being offered. When he saw the beer Hyunjin had brought to the table, he felt a flush creeping up his neck. “Oh – oh I can’t drink that. I have to drive so…”

“Your friend sent it over for you.”

Jeongin’s gaze swept the diner until he saw Chan chatting up someone near the counter. He caught Jeongin’s eye and gave him a wink, pointed to the beer and gave him a thumbs up as if he hadn’t just used Jeongin’s money to buy the beer. It wasn’t like Jeongin would actually drink it.

“I’m driving,” Jeongin repeated to the pretty man who had made himself comfortable on his lap, his back pressed against Jeongin’s chest. 

“Fuck, you always this uptight?” Hyunjin turned to face him again, placing unnecessary pressure on Jeongin’s already straining crotch. “What’re you scared of, huh? Wanna have some fun back there?” His eyes flickered to the restroom. 

Jeongin felt his gut twist and he shook his head. “No, no, I’m – I’m good. I don’t need anything like that.”

“Oh?” Jeongin hissed as Hyunjin placed a hand over his erection. “Doesn’t look like it, handsome.”

He pried the man’s hand away, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m fine, really.”

Hyunjin sighed. “You’d rather sit here and listen to these deadbeats talk about that killer?” His smile turned devilish. “Wait, does that kind of thing turn you on? I heard,” he leaned in close to whisper in Jeongin’s ear, “the killer likes to prowl at night, driving around, searching for his victims. They say he places his hands around the victim’s throat.” His fingers formed a cage around Jeongin’s throat. “He must be big and strong to squeeze the life out of someone, huh? You like that kinky shit?”

Jeongin swallowed thickly, grabbing the beer off the table and taking a quick sip. It was warm and left a disgusting taste on his tongue that reminded him why he hated beer. “I’m not into that,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“Then at least let me blow you. Come on,” Hyunjin stood up, holding out his hand.

Jeongin gaped. Why was this guy – this guy who could have  _ anyone _ he wanted – so desperate to get a piece of Jeongin? He knew he should say no. Who knew Hyunjin’s true motives? He couldn’t just trust someone he met in an old diner. But what if he never got an opportunity to be with someone like Hyunjin again? Someone this pretty and so willing to have him…

The restroom comprised of one stall with a door hanging off its hinges and a washbasin that looked ready to fall apart. Hyunjin locked the door behind them, pushing Jeongin against the wall. It was grimy. Most of the paint had peeled off and large chunks of the concrete were missing. Jeongin tried to take his focus off the germ-infested restroom, and instead looked at the man who’d dropped to his knees in front of him.

Hyunjin made deft work of undoing Jeongin’s belt and pulling his jeans and underwear down to his knees. His eyes flickered from Jeongin’s dick to his face and he raised an eyebrow. “Ready?”

Jeongin cocked his head to the side. Why ask? If he didn’t want this, he wouldn’t have put himself in this position. Was it a part of foreplay? He hated foreplay. He liked getting to the point. Fuck. Then come. And it’s over. There was no need to ask questions or play games.

He nodded impatiently, steeling himself as Hyunjin’s lips approached the head of his cock. The man pressed his lips to the head, extending his tongue to lick softly. Jeongin gasped, his body tensing. He had to grip onto the rough craters in the wall for support. He tried not to think of all the germs latching onto his skin. Disgusting.

Hyunjin swirled his tongue, giving no warning before he took half of the shaft into his mouth. He bobbed his head – once, twice, three times – and then took him all the way to the back of his throat. 

Jeongin’s breath hitched in surprise and he murmured a soft, “Oh.” Hyunjin’s eyes found his, and there was a hint of amusement in them. Jeongin frowned. Did he find this funny? Why did they all find him funny? Everyone who ever had sex with him always laughed at some point. Was he  _ bad _ at it?

He threaded his fingers through Hyunjin’s hair – slightly greasy because of all the hair product. He imagined Chan’s hair would feel the same. His roommate went through a bottle of that sleek hair stuff every week. Curly hair was a nuisance, he always told Jeongin who could only shrug because his own curls weren’t as unruly.

Hyunjin hummed loudly around his cock, sending a vibration along Jeongin’s spine, and bringing him back into the moment. His mind tended to drift sometimes. He mumbled an apology, and Hyunjin’s brows furrowed. He looked slightly annoyed, and slightly confused, but continued to bob his head.

Jeongin felt as though he was going to explode at any second. He gripped Hyunjin’s hair, trying to pull him off. “I’m – I – Gonna come,” his voice turned into a squeak.

Hyunjin stared at him defiantly, bobbing his head faster.

“What are you  _ doing _ ?” Jeongin’s breaths came fast, his fingers digging into Hyunjin’s scalp. “Don’t – don’t do that.” 

But Hyunjin continued. Jeongin was going to come in his mouth,

“Don’t do that,” Jeongin protested, “Its dirty. You shouldn’t –” He tugged hard, forcing Hyunjin away, and then began to fist his own erection until cum spilled over his fist.

Hyunjin sat on his haunches, slack-jawed. “What the fuck is your problem?” 

Jeongin blinked. “I just don’t like that,” he shrugged. “I told you not to do it.”

“Yeah, your friend was right. You’re a fucking weirdo.” Hyunjin rose to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. 

“My friend…” It started to make sense now. “Chan made you do this?” A sickening thought crossed his mind. “Oh no, did he – did he pay you?”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, he paid me, but –”

“You’re a prostitute,” Jeongin scrunched his face in disgust, wiping his hands on wad of toilet paper and pulling his pants up. “You’re a prostitute. Just – just get away from me.”

“What the fuck?” Hyunjin let out a disbelieving laugh. “I’m not a prostitute, you asshole!” He shook his head, turned on his heel and left.

Jeongin collected himself, straightening his glasses which had come askew and left the restroom. Thankfully, Hyunjin was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the diner, looking for any sign of Chan and frowning at the almost empty space. Only the three middle aged men remained, looking heavily inebriated.

He trudged outside just as an old station wagon reversed out of a parking space, and he flushed when he saw Hyunjin glare at him from the driver’s seat. He made an obscene gesture as he drove away. 

Jeongin sighed and began to search the car park for the Volvo his parents had bought him for his birthday. Panic gripped him when he failed to spot the car. Red Volvo, red Volvo, red Volvo. But there was no red Volvo. His car was gone. Chan was gone. Chan was gone with his car and his wallet.

He raked his fingers through his hair, gripping the ends in a mixture of frustration, anger and confusion. He managed to calm himself and fished his phone out of his back pocket.

Chan answered on the fourth ring. “What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Jeongin asked through gritted teeth. “Where’s my car?”

“Chill,” Chan laughed. Some RnB song could be heard playing in the background and was that…? Someone definitely giggled – a woman. “I’m just giving my… new friend a ride – or she’s giving me a ride –” the woman giggled again and Chan joined in, “–but I paid Hyunjin to take you to the motel. I’ll meet you there in the morning.”

Jeongin’s heart stopped. “You paid Hyunjin to do  _ what _ ?”

“To drop you off at the motel,” Chan sounded impatient. “He was heading that way. Why?”

“Then why’d he suck me off?”

“What?” Chan guffawed. “He… Really? You lucky bastard. Listen, my battery’s about to die. I’ll see you at the motel.”

“No, wait!” Jeongin’s eyes widened. “Hyunjin didn’t –”

The line went dead. Chan’s battery died. No, Jeongin realized – it was  _ his _ battery that had died. He couldn’t even use his phone now.

He clapped a hand over his mouth and crouched down. “What am I going to do?” he began chanting, overtaken with fear. Was he supposed to just wait now? Chan was an inconsiderate dumbass. If Jeongin didn’t show up at the motel, would he come looking for him? Would he bother? What if he waited and Chan never showed up? 

He could find a phone and call his parents, ask for help… No. He’d be given a lecture about how irresponsible he was. And if they knew he’d let Chan just take off with the car… No, he couldn’t call them.

Or should he walk? No, he couldn’t walk. It was dark, and the motel was a one hour  _ drive _ away, so how long would it take to walk the distance? And it was all uphill, wasn’t it? 

He shuffled over to car park exit, looking at the road ahead. Long, winding, a hill in the distance. But once he made it up the hill… Wouldn’t it get easier?

It was dark and he only had the faint glow of the crescent moon to illuminate the road. The air was slightly humid but at least there was no rain. Around him, mountains of limestone loomed, creating jagged shapes against the night sky. 

He’d been walking for around twenty minutes. The hill hadn’t gotten any closer. Maybe he’d underestimated the distance. He paused, looking over his shoulder and wondering whether he should turn back. The lights of the diner flickered, but an even brighter light caught his attention, approaching speedily.

Jeongin realized belatedly that he should stick out his thumb. He was a few seconds too late and the car had already passed by the time he raised his hand. His shoulders sagged in disappointment. He needed to be prepared for the next car. 

He was surprised when the blue Prius made a U-turn, coming back to stop just beside him. The window rolled down and a smiling face looked up at him. “You need a ride?”

Jeongin hesitated. He should’ve thought this through. Hitching a ride with a stranger in the dead of night. It was the kind of thing you’d read about in a horror story, or the front page of a newspaper. 

The man’s cheeks were rounded, his chin protruding. He had closely cropped shaggy black hair and his thin lips were curved into a curious smile. 

“I’m fine, thanks,” Jeongin declined the offer and stepped away from the car. 

“Aw come on,” the man chuckled. “I don’t bite… Unless you want me to, then…”

Jeongin shook his head firmly, raising his hand in a wave before continuing on his way. The car revved, tyres screeching against the tar as it sped past Jeongin.

Jeongin’s feet were beginning to ache now but he pushed on. Up ahead, the road curved to the right. He walked around the bend and froze.

The Prius was parked just off to the side, idling. The driver sat on the hood, waiting for Jeongin with a wild grin on his face. “Why so glum, buddy?”

Jeongin tensed. “I’m not your buddy.” The man was shorter than him, but his shoulders were broad, his arms muscular, bulging beneath his t-shirt. 

“I don’t mean any harm,” the man held up his arms defensively, but his grin remained. “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself. You read the news lately? A psycho is on the loose. I hear he takes the good-looking ones.”

Jeongin scoffed and shook his head. “I guess I’m not in danger then.”

“Hey now,” the man frowned, “you ought to give yourself more credit. You’re… You’re pretty cute.”

Jeongin ignored this poor attempt at flirting. He paused. He’d have to pass the car to continue. 

“You have pretty eyes.”

“Yeah?” Jeongin dug his heels into the ground and walked up to the guy. “You think so? Look, I don’t know whether you’re drunk or just looking for someone to have a good time with but I’m having an awful day and an even worse night, so please, just let me go. I’m not interested in you.”

“You hurt my feelings,” the man sighed dramatically to show that he was joking, but a flicker of hurt passed through his features. “I’m not drunk. But I  _ do _ want to have a good time. So why not have a good time with you? I could make your night better.”

“No thanks,” Jeongin strode past the car. 

“You heading to that motel?”

Again, Jeongin froze.

“It’s the only place I can imagine you’d be heading to at this time. There’s nothing else out here. Let me take you. I’m not gonna try to put my dick in your ass.”

“Why?” Jeongin turned to him, his eyes narrowed. “Why are you so eager to help me?”

The man shrugged lazily. “You seem pretty decent. And like I said, there’s a psycho on the loose.”

“Not here,” Jeongin shook his head. “The bodies were all found north of here. Near that quarry. And anyway, there hasn’t been a new body in a while.”

“Yeah, well, maybe he’s on vacation.” Jeongin cracked a smile, and the man held out his hand “I’m Changbin.”

“Jeongin.” But his hands remained in his pockets. 

With a wry smile, Changbin lowered his hand. “You getting in?”

Was Jeongin getting in? His legs were aching. He’d been foolish to think he could walk the whole way. And something sparked in his chest. Oh boy.

Changbin was a careful driver. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road. But Jeongin kept glancing at Changbin, partly out of interest, partly out of suspicion. A scar ran all the way from behind his right ear down to his neck, but it only served to make him more attractive. A childhood accident, perhaps. “What were you doing out here? Work?”

Changbin gave him a lopsided grin. “I’d have to kill you if I told you.” Jeongin stared and the man barked out a laugh. “Vacation.”

Jeongin shot him a glance, and kept his fingers on the door handle, “I see.”

Changbin turned on the radio, playing some indie song that Jeongin had heard before but didn’t quite like. He tried to sit comfortably, tried to calm the erratic thoughts flitting in and out of his mind, but try as he may, he could not relax. The spark in his chest seemed to grow hotter and hotter. He knew he would’ve felt differently if they’d been out in broad daylight, but the darkness, and the stranger beside him kept him on edge.

He drew in a breath, but perhaps he shouldn’t have because it only alerted him to the strange odour wafting beneath his nostrils.

When Jeongin was a kid, around eight years old, maybe younger, his mother would take him to visit his uncle at work sometimes. The man owned a butcher’s shop, offering only the best cuts of meat in town. As soon as Jeongin would walk in, the smell of raw meat and blood would hit him, causing a wave of nausea that he would have to man up and fight until he got home. Then he’d puke and puke and puke… At some point, the nausea had stopped, but he could still pick up the odour easily.

He surreptitiously glanced at the back. A large rectangular cooler sat on the backseat. Was that where the smell was coming from? What did he have in there?

He tried to sound nonchalant when he asked, “What’s in there? In that cooler, I mean.”

Changbin took a few seconds to answer. “I can show you. But if I do, I’d have to…”

“Kill me?” Jeongin guessed, half amused, half agitated. He kept himself pressed close to the door.

Changbin only laughed, not contradicting him, not making a move to show Jeongin what exactly was in the cooler. Jeongin stared at the green box, his eyes drifting down to the carpet where something shiny had caught his eye. It had a wooden handle, the jagged edge of the blade dotted with crimson specks.

His chest constricted and he had to force himself to stay still. He shouldn’t do anything right now. He needed to stay calm. Stay present. No drifting away. “What did you do on your vacation?”

Changbin’s lips quirked into a smile. “I went hunting.”

“Hunting,” Jeongin repeated softly, nodding his head. “You hunt.” He pretended to stretch his arms, his fingers inching towards the blade and closing around the handle. “You hunt with this?”

Changbin glanced at the knife in Jeongin’s hand and sighed. “Yeah, looks like I forgot to clean that one.”

Jeongin hummed. “You know what they say about that killer who’s on the loose? They say he uses knives too.”

Now, Changbin gave him his full attention. “You don’t think I…” he barked out a laugh, “You think I’m…” he shook his head incredulously. “Look, I know I joke around a lot but –” he reached around the seat, undoing the catch on the cooler. The lid sprung open, revealing the glassy eyes of a deer. “See. And I have another one in the trunk.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’re that serial killer,” Jeongin reassured him. “I’m just letting you know. He stabs his victims, but only after they’re already dead. He likes the sound of the knife ripping through flesh. It comforts him.”

Changbin gave him a strange look. 

“Everyone thinks,” and Jeongin laughed at this, “that he’s some kind of buff guy. Strong, like you, Changbin. But the police hasn’t told the public everything. They keep some details to themselves, you know? Like how he knocks them out before he strangles them.”

Changbin’s grip on the wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white. Jeongin could see the fear take hold of him. His brows were knitted together like he couldn’t quite understand. Denial.

“Actually, I  _ was _ on vacation,” Jeongin admitted. “And I was trying to stop too. Four people… They haven’t found the fourth yet. It’s just this spark I feel in my chest sometimes. It makes me act out, do things I shouldn’t.”

The car screeched to a stop and Jeongin slid the blade across Changbin’s throat. Blood sprayed onto the windscreen, like one of the sprinklers in his mother’s garden had turned on. Changbin’s throat made a gurgling noise, his eyes bloodshot and his hands jerked in his lap. 

Jeongin watched in fascination. He’d never done it this way before. This was messy, but… But there was a strange kind of satisfaction in watching the life leave someone’s eyes. He should do this more often.

He hadn’t wanted to kill Changbin. He’d  _ tried _ not to, had even thought of making him stop the car so he could leave. And really, if it wasn’t the middle of the night, and if there were other cars on the road, Jeongin would never have done it – there was a reason he only did this in the dead of night. This could never happen in broad daylight.

He looked wistfully at the knife in his hand. It was actually the sight of the knife that made him lose it. You can’t put candy in front of a kid and expect them not to eat it.

The spark in his chest frizzled out and he sat back, relaxing for the first time since he’d gotten into the car. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading 💕💕💕💕💕  
> Twitter   
> CuriousCat


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